Key Facts
How to protect yourself against this deadly disease
LASSA fever is sweeping through Nigeria and causing a state of emergency in various states. Here's how to best protect yourself against it.
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Causes of Lassa fever
The main cause of Lassa virus is a rodent known as the Multimammate Rat of the genus mastomys but it is not sure that which species of mastomys are associated with Lassa fever.
-Avoid direct contact with rats-If rat eat your grain or other food the virus could transfer to the food.-It may also spread through person-to-person contact when a person comes into contact with virus in the blood, tissue, secretions, or excretions of an individual infected with the Lassa virus.
Symptoms/Signs of Lassa fever
Abdominal PainBack PainChest PainConjunctivitisCoughDiarrheaFacial SwellingFeverMucosal BleedingProteinuriaSore ThroatVomiting
How to diagnose Lassa fever
Lassa virus is diagnosed by doing a laboratory test in a test centre and can be discovered in three ways: 1. Isolating the virus from blood, urine, or throat washings. 2. Demonstrating the presence of immunoglobuline M (IgM) antibody to Lassa virus. 3. Showing a fourfold rise in titer of IgG antibody between acute- and convalescent-phase serums.
How to protect yourself against Lassa fever
Avoid contact between rats and human beingsIsolating infected patients from contact with unprotected persons until the disease has run its course
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